Why the conclave elected Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV

The quiet American

Prevost was hardly mentioned in pre-conclave media coverage and was a non-factor in the betting markets — but he was the subject of intense interest among his fellow cardinals in the days between their arrival in Rome and the start of the conclave.

• "I was surprised at how many of my colleagues asked me... 'do you know this Roberto Prevost?'" Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, said at a press conference alongside fellow North American cardinals.
• The truth was Dolan knew very little about Prevost, who spent most of his adult life away from the U.S. — much of it as a missionary and later bishop in Peru, where he gained dual citizenship.
• When the American cardinals posed for a photo ahead of the conclave, Prevost wasn't even in it.

There was a longstanding belief that an American would never be selected pope, because the U.S. is already a geopolitical superpower.

• But when it came to Prevost, the fact that he was an American was "almost negligible in the deliberations of the conclave, surprisingly so for me," said Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington.

Francis' heir, but his own man

Prevost only became a cardinal in 2023, but Pope Francis made him one of the senior-most figures in the Catholic hierarchy earlier this year by elevating him to the rank of cardinal-bishop.

• He was seen as close to his predecessor both personally and in terms of outlook, but somewhat more moderate in temperament and on some ideological questions than the more fiery Francis.
• That made him a continuity candidate but also a plausibly acceptable choice for some who had quibbles with Francis.
• The chatter among the electors ahead of the conclave was "we're looking for someone following in the pathway of Francis, but we're not looking for a photocopy," McElroy said.

"He runs a great meeting"

Francis made Prevost the head of the powerful Curia department responsible for appointing bishops, bringing him into closer contact with senior figures in the church, including some who later elevated him to the papacy.

• Dolan said one of the first pieces of insight he picked up about Prevost was "he runs a great meeting, which not everybody does."
• Multiple cardinals said they saw Prevost as a good listener and an effective administrator, while others were impressed by their interactions with him ahead of the conclave.
• "It wasn't that he got up and made this overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body," reflected Cardinal Wilton Gregory. "But I do believe he engaged quite effectively in the smaller group conversations."

"A mad dash to unity"

The cardinals are sworn to secrecy about what happened inside the conclave itself, but it's clear that momentum shifted strongly in Prevost's favor during the three rounds of voting on the second day.

• "There was a great movement on the second day — a great movement within the body that was there, and it could be nothing other than the grace of God moving us toward this consensus that I thought it would take a lot more time to get to," McElroy said.
• The swift arrival of white smoke led some to speculate the winner was Francis' deputy and the betting markets' favorite, Pietro Parolin. But reports in the Italian press suggest Parolin fell victim to the old adage that "he who enters as pope leaves as cardinal."
• The Corriere Della Serra newspaper claimed — sprinkling in many grains of salt — that Parolin was still leading Prevost on the third ballot, but stepped aside when it became clear he couldn't reach the necessary two-thirds majority.

"Accepto"

Dolan was sitting directly behind Prevost as votes were counted during the fourth and final ballot, and saw the soon-to-be pope drop his head as his name was repeated over and over again.

• When he crossed the threshold of 89 votes "there was great ovation in the Sistine Chapel," Dolan told SirusXM's "Catholic Channel."
• It was then up to Parolin, as the senior-most cardinal elector, to stand before Prevost and ask whether he would accept the role being entrusted to him. "Accepto," Prevost replied.
• Then Parolin asked by what name the new pope wished to be called. After a brief pause he answered: "Leo."